Rodney l



l (No Modl.)

R.VL.BETTS.

GRAPPLB.

No. 276,658. Patented May 1,1883.1 IQ.; Tg3. i

io jects of my invention are to provide a device comprising a spring theends ot' which are sed y i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

`RODNEY L. BETTS, OF BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.

GRAPPLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,658, dated May 1,1883. :Application filed March 27, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RODNEY L. BETTs, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Brunswick, in the county of Rensselaer and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gra-pples, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to adevice which I denominate a domestic grapple;77and the obby which persons in a room of a ,building above therground-floor can communicate with and transfer articles to and frompersons outside and'upon the ground. Some of the uses to which thedevice is adapted are to facilitate the'purchase of articles frompersons on the streets without the necessity of going down one or moreflights of stairs, particularly such articles as newspapers, baskets,and even packages containing liquids, and for the reception or deliveryof mail-matter from postmen.

My invention consists, first, in a grapple cured to or form a receptaclewhich by the resiliency of the spring is held in a closed condition;second,in a grapplecomprising a spring bent to form a hook, and havingat one of its ends the body of a receptacle and at the other end a coverfor said receptacle third, in a i grapple comprising a spring, and hookin one piece, one end of which forms a receptacle and `the other a covertherefor, which is set therein to strengthen the hook and guard the sameagainst separation by longitudinal strain; and, iinally, my inventionconsists in certain features hereinafter described, and speciically setforth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming-a part hereof, Figure 1is a side View, partly in section, of a grapple constructed inaccordanceWithmyiuvention. Fig.2isafront view of the same, holding aletter. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the grapple opened, and Fig. 4 is asection of the receptacle and cover. Fig. 5 is a modification of thegrapple. v

Like letters refer to like parts in all the gures.

A represents a wire coiled, as at at, to increase its resiliency, and inthis instance bent also at a to form a hook. I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to forming the hook a', as the coil ct maybe so bent as to normally compress the cups together, as shown in Fig.5, and the upper portion of the outer cup be used as a hook to retainthe handle of a basket or other articles, and in this case one end ofthe spring is secured to the bottom of the receptacle B. One end of thespring is formed Vinto a ring, a2, and the other end into a similarring, a3, and about the former is secured, by soldering or in anysuitable manuel', a box, B, preferably ot' sheet metal, and made largeenough to hold a silver dollar, and in like manner a cover, C, adaptedto iit or close said box, may be secured to the ring a3,- but I preferto attach the box and cover to the rings, as shown-that is to say, byforming a bead or fold in the material of the box and cover and inclosethe rings therein. The cover is made to enter some distance into theboxfor the purpose of preventing their separation when a heavy basket orpail is huugon the. hook al; but it is apparent that a simple flat covermay be used for some purposes for which the device is intended. One endof a cord or rope, D, is secured tothe coiled portion. a, and the otherend may be also attached to a window-sill.

When used, money or orders or any desired communication is placed in thebox B, the cover placed in position, and the grapple is lowered; or abasket may first be hung on the hook a', if desired, and the wholelowered to the ground, when the huckster, newsboy, or postulan, as thecase may be, takes out the money, puts in the change, and secures thedesired article between the box and its cover, or in the basket, pail,or other vessel suspended on the hook, and the user elevates the wholeby means ot' the cord.

If desired, a single bend in the spring may take the placeof the coil ctat that point.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A grapple comprising a spring the ends of which form a receptacle anda cover normally held in a closed position, substantially as specified.

, 2. A grapple comprising a spring bent to form a hook, and having atone of its ends a Son ICO

box or receptacle and at the other end a cover a cover C, folded orbeaded upon the rings, subi3 stantially as shown and described. f

6. The combination of the spring A, box B, and inset cover G,substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination of the spring A, formed zo into a hook, a, box B, andinset cover C, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' RODNEY L. BETTS.

Witnesses:

HERBERT G. BETTs, AUSTIN F. PARK.

